Police searching for April Jones say they are continuing to scour an area of 60 square kilometres.

Eighteen specialist search teams are still looking for the missing five-year-old who was abducted while playing near her home.

Exhausted officers who have been involved in the search effort since she disappeared on October 2 have been replaced by police from across the UK, including a team from the Met who arrived on Friday.

Superintendent Ian John from Dyfed Powys Police told Sky News: "We are at the moment refreshing our teams. We've got people from all over the country.

"Quite simply we're having to send some of our officers home because their motivation is so high they just want to be here and carry on working.

"But we've got to look after them and we have to remain focussed and professional about this and this operation is going to run for some time. But their commitment is exceptional and that's across the services it's not just within the police."

Supt John confirmed that the coastguard is still carrying out daily searches of the River Dovey from Borth to Towyn and underwater search teams are scouring the estuary.

He said: "We still have a large number of areas that we need to search where we feel that we have a realistic prospect of having success of finding April and as long as that's the case we will continue doing that."

Large numbers of police continue to search woodland and riverbanks near the village in Ceinws where Mark Bridger, the man charged with April's murder and abduction, lived.

Two police tents have been erected in the front garden of the cottage he was was renting.

Pink bows still adorn trees and buildings around Machynlleth. April's mother, Coral Jones, asked friends and neighbours to put them up as a sign of hope.

The Welsh football team wore pink ribbons on their track suits during their World Cup qualifying match against Scotland on Friday evening in support of April's family.

Meanwhile April's parents have made a personal visit to the search teams' base to thank the workers for their ongoing efforts.